Don't Dream Too Far
by Ggunsailor
Summary: The Wicked Witch of the West has been dead for two years...or is she? Originally published on deviantART.  Read and review!
1. Teaser

_Unlimited_

_The future is_

_Unlimited_

The Wicked Witch of the West is dead.

_The wickedest witch_

_There ever was!_

_The enemy of _

_All of us_

_Here in Oz_

_Is dead!_

Beloved by those who truly knew her, she has been dead for two years.

"Elphaba. Her name was Elphaba."

"Did you love her, Glinda?"

"..."

"Glinda?"

"I can't answer that."

Or is she?

"Wait a second. Someone's been living here."

"Supposedly, no one goes near the castle because theres a rumor that her ghost is haunting the building. They say you can hear her voice singing at night."

This year...

"Why did you lie?"

"What do you mean by that?"

"Elphie, I thought you were dead for two years! And now you appear like some ghost and expect me to fall into your arms like a long-lost lover?"

"...well..."

"You did. Well; let me tell you something, Miss Elphaba Thropp! I love you too much to let you think that! Besides, I'd throw myself into your arms instead."

Elphaba returns.

"So, the witch is alive, is she?"

"Yes, general."

"Then let's make sure she stays dead, shall we?"

And she plans to set thing right with Glinda.

"Glinda?"

"Yes?"

"There's something...I have to tell you."

"What is it?"

From the writer who brought you Solitude: the Beginning of Madness and Through My Eyes comes a story about regaining a lost friendship...

"You see, Glinda, I..."

"Yeah?"

"I..."

And love.

Dont Dream Too Far, a tale of what happened _after_ the musical ended.

"I love you."

Coming soon...


	2. Prologue

**Dont Dream Too Far**

**By**

**Ggunsailor**

**Prologue**

**This is a Gelphie story! W00T!**

**I love this pairing mostly because _Wicked_ is an awesomely great book and musical, and Glinda and Elphaba work so well off each other. Besides, Gregory Maguire himself says there could be a relationship between the two and he certainly hints at it in the book. After reading some really good fan fiction, I decided to try writing it myself. So here goes my first try at Gelphie.**

**Quick note: From what Ive seen, I have decided that the Elphaba in this story will be based off Idina Menzel with a bit of Shoshana Bean and Eden Espinosa, and Glinda will be Kristin Chenoweth (I think I spelled that right) with a bit of Megan Hilty and Annaleigh Ashford.**

**There is also my OC Rooku Garin whos from Gillikin. He is G(a)linda and Elphabas best friend after its discovered theres no more room in the boys dorm, so he has to take a single at Crage Hall (poor guy). He watches during Popular, goes with them to the Emerald City, and helps Elphie escape in Defying Gravity. In the second act he becomes a member of the Emerald City council and keeps a secret correspondence with Elphaba. Hes there during For Good and watches her die in the closet with Glinda. After that, when Madame Morrible is thrown in jail, he takes over head of the Emerald City Council. Okay, I hope that wasnt too confusing. ^_^; Oh and one more thing: all the men in his family dye their beard green at age eighteen.**

**Disclaimer: I dont own Wicked. It belongs to Stephen Schwartz and Gregory Maguire. Rooku and other characters are mine.**

**This story is dedicated to my sister, who got me started on _Wicked_ and on writing fan fiction. She came up with the title, so it is for her I write this, Love ya, sis!**

**I hope you like it!**

**Rated NC-17 for explicit content. If you dont like it, go read something else. However, this prologue is PG.**

**_I take up my pen to write of these events as I remember. I have talked to those who where involved and changed the names of those who wished to remain anonymous._**

**_ Many have asked me the nature of my relationship with the Wicked Witch of the West. Somehow the rumors came out that I knew her, along with Glinda the Good, at school. That part is true, but we both knew her not as the Witch, but as Elphaba Thropp. Some have asked me if she was in love with me or with the captain of the guards, Fiyero. I suppose she did, but only as a friend loves a friend, or one loves their sibling; the same for myself. Of her love for Fiyero, I knew nothing. _**

**_ But only one held her heart. Only one person could love her the same way most could not, for none ever became as intimate with her as this person. Only one could fall in love with her and her with them. _**

**_ And that was Glinda._**

**_ The facts written here are as accurate as I can make them. May the Unnamed God guide me in imparting these words to all._**

**_ Emerald City, Oz_**

**_ 1900_**

**Well, theres the prologue. Hope you like it!**

**7/1/2008 5:52 PM**


	3. Chapter 1

**Dont Dream Too Far**

**By**

**Ggunsailor**

**Chapter One**

**Here is the first chapter!**

**In this chapter, Rooku and his young secretary Meerna join Glinda on a pilgrimage to Kiamo Ko to pay respects. Kiamo Ko is supposedly deserted, but the Councilman finds out it isnt true when he gets the biggest surprise of his lifeDun-dun-dun!**

**Disclaimer: I dont own Wicked. It belongs to Stephen Schwartz and Gregory Maguire, and of course, the original characters belong to the fantastic L. Frank Baum who created them; (bows) we thank you, sir. Rooku and other characters are mine.**

**This story is dedicated to my sister, who got me started on _Wicked_ and on writing fan fiction. She came up with the title, so it is for her I write this, Love ya, sis!**

**I hope you like it!**

**Oh, one more thing I should mention. I am going to have references to the original Oz books, and the 1939 Wizard of Oz, so if you guess those, then you are a true Ozian scholar! Good luck. ;)**

**This story is rated M for explicit content and later chapters. But this chapter is PG-13. **

**Quick note: If you see the term a/n it means authors note. **

"One of my greatest fears was the Witches, for while I had no magical powers at all I soon found out that the Witches were really able to do wonderful thingsbut the Witches of the East and West were terribly wicked, and had they not thought I was more powerful than they themselves, they would surely have destroyed me."

_-_The Wizard, _L. Frank Baum_, The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, 1900

"And there the wicked old Witch stayed for a good long time."

"And did she ever come out?"

"Not yet."

-_ Gregory Maguire, _Wicked_,_ pg. 519, 2003 Harper Collins edition.

_In her first passion woman loves her lover; _

_In all the others, all she loves is love._

_-Lord Byron, _Don Juan

_Two years after the Wicked Witchs death_

"No one mourns the wicked!"

Those were the words Rooku Garin kept hearing coming up from the revelers on the street due to his open office window. He sighed and rubbed his green eyes wearily.

"I wish they would stop singing that." He muttered. "It's starting to get on my nerves." He had good reason to be annoyed: people were singing about the death of his best friend, who happened to be the former Wicked Witch of the West or, as he and several others knew her, Elphaba Thropp. And heres the kicker; she wasnt wicked at all. Oh, she may have acted like it at the end, but he and Glinda Uppland Chuffrey knew better.

It was on this day that Rooku would remember Elphaba pushing Glinda and himself into a closet, her with the Grimmerie and him with a cloak that she owned, hearing the sounds of rifle butts smashing the door down, shouting, the splash of water...and Elphabas last bloodcurdling scream as she melted.

"Oh, Elphie...I wish you were here. For both our sakes." He whispered. Since the year it happened, Glinda seemed to bebrooding and distant somehow. On the outside she seemed like everything was fine doing her duty as Glinda the Good. She'd even gotten married to one Sir Chuffrey, a rather...obese member of the Emerald City aristocracy and who was old enough to be her father. However...he couldnt put his finger on it, but he knew that she was breaking inside. Maybe she missed Elphaba more than he did; maybe she was in lo-...no, she couldnt have been.

Another memory came back to him, well, actually two: the first one was seeing his two friends finally patch up their friendship and forgiving each other at Kiamo Ko.

"And just to clear the air

I ask forgiveness

For the things I've done

You blamed me for."

The second one was a funny one that made him chuckle. He could see Glinda, or Galinda as she was known then, and Elphie back in their Shiz days sitting on Galinda's bed as Galinda unbraided her roommate's hair, which she showed her how to toss a few minutes later. He remembered sitting on Elphie's empty bed and trying hard not to laugh out loud at what Galinda was "teaching" Elphaba as he watched the scene unfold in front of him.

"Popular

I know about popular

And with an assist from me

To be who you'll be

Instead of dreary who you were

Well, _are_

There's nothing that can stop you

From becoming popular. _Lar."_

"La, la, la, laaaaa. We're gonna make you pop-u-lar!" he sang to himself, grinning.

"You wouldn't be talking about me, would you, boss?"

Rooku jumped a little in his chair, and then he smiled. "No, Meerna." He said. "I'm just remembering."

His secretary smirked. She was a little younger than him (only twenty-five since he was thirty-six) with red hair, tanned skin, and blue eyes. She placed the documents onto his desk and sat on the edge of it. "Good memories, I hope?" she asked, feeling relieved when he nodded. She cared for him like he was her own brother back home in Gillikin. "What were they, if you dont mind me asking?"

"Well," he said, beaming. "One was about a popular lesson."

Meerna burst out laughing. "Oh, was it that one where she was teaching the Witch how to be popular? That has to be my favorite story of yours that you tell!"

Rooku laughed heartily. "I enjoy telling them, my dear." He gestured to the documents she placed on his desk. "So what have we here?"

"Not much; just a few letters that need answering. Oh, and this." She drew a pink envelope from her pocket. "I think you know who _this_ is from." She said tapping it against her left hand and handing to the smiling Councilman.

"I know, indeed." With that, he broke the seal and took out the note written on pink stationary with words printed in dark pink ink.

"Pink was always her favorite color," he said with a laugh. "Blue is her second favorite."

_"Dearest Rooku,_

_How are the affairs of state going? Although I don't know why I'm asking you that, I should know. Call it second nature, I suppose. Sir Chuffrey is fine and hopes you're doing well._

_I was wondering, since today is the second anniversary, if you were planning to...go to Kiamo Ko tonight. I plan on going there with some flowers, and would love the company. Bring along Meerna, for I know she has been dying to go there since you always tell her stories of the old days._

_I also wish to ask you if you've heard the stories that are popping up. Supposedly, no one goes near the castle because there's a rumor that her ghost is haunting the building. They say you can hear her voice singing at night. I can't help but wonder if it's someone playing a cruel joke; perhaps we'll catch them in the act. But then...it could be her ghost. _

_I will see you tonight at my mansion after supper. Take a cloak with you both for it's going to be cold up there._

_Your dear, dearest friend,_

_Glinda Chuffrey."_

After reading the letter, he looked up at Meerna with a sad smile. "Meerna, are you busy tonight?" he asked.

The girl shook her head. "No, I don't think so. Why do you ask?"

"Would you care to join Glinda and myself going to Kiamo Ko tonight?"

The way Meerna reacted, you would have thought she had been told she had inherited a fortune. "Go up to Kiamo Ko, the last known home of the Wicked Witch of the West? I'd love nothing more!" she exclaimed, but when she saw Rooku wince at the words Wicked Witch of the West, she immediately said "I'm sorry! I forgot myself."

"It's all right." He said as he got up from his chair. "Glinda and I decided that only a select few could know her true name." Placing a hand on her shoulder, he spoke with pride in his voice "I consider you part of my family...you know that, don't you?"

Meerna smiled and placed her hand on top of his. "I do."

"Then I feel you have the right to know her true name."

The young woman felt a chill go down her spine. "Which is?" she asked.

Rooku felt his eyes tear a little as he said "...Elphaba. Her name was Elphaba."

Meerna smiled gently. "It's a beautiful name."

"It is. Now, why don't you go down to the kitchen and ask cook to pick out a good bottle of ale? We'll drink to her memory at the castle."

The secretary walked out of the room to deal with his request, leaving the older-feeling man looking out the window...almost expecting a streak of black to fly across the sky.

"Defying gravity." he murmured.

A little later, both Councilman and secretary found themselves standing in front of the Chuffrey mansion. Meerna looked down at the light traveling dress she put on along with her blue cloak. "Do I look fine?"

He laughed. "Yes, you do. Don't worry, it doesn't matter to Glinda what people look like unless she's going out in public, and we're not going out in public are we?"

"Um, no."

"See?"

"Well, that black cloak _you're_ wearing looks a little fancy. What is that, velvet?"

Rooku looked down at the garment in question. "For your information, missy, this cloak is very important to me. _She_ gave it to me before her..."

Meerna mentally smacked herself for that. 'Of course; Elphaba gave him that cloak.' "Sorry, I forgot that it's significant to you."

He chuckled again. "It's quite all right." The door opened, and the butler ushered then in.

"Welcome, Councilman Garin, and your lovely companion." He said as he guided them to the parlor. "Her Goodness is upstairs; I will let her know you're here."

Rooku nodded his thanks and looked around the well-lit parlor as Meerna gaped in amazement. He knew for a fact that Glinda collected art, and used to sketch when they were younger, as did Elphaba. The room had three chairs, two of which were gold and one was pink. 'Chuffrey probably picked the gold ones.' He thought with a small smirk.

"Hey, what's this picture?" Meerna asked, picking up a frame from the coffee table.

"Hmm? Oh, I can't believe she still has that one. This was taken not too long after we entered Shiz. She coerced, or forced more likely, Elphie to get in the picture." He paused. "Was my hair really that long?"

"I understand there was a school song. What was it?"

"Let me see if I can remember. I think it went something like this." And Rooku began to sing in his marvelous tenor voice.

"Oh hallowed halls

And vine-draped walls

The proudliest sight there is

When gray and sear

Our hair hath turned

We shall still revere

Our lessons learned

In our days at

Dear old Shiz

Our days at Dear old..."

Another voice, a gorgeous soprano, suddenly came from the stairways, making Meerna jump a little, and Rooku grin and turn to the occupant.

"Oh-oh-oh-oh-old

Shiz

ROOKU

Dear Old Shizzzzzzzzzzzzz."

Meerna couldnt believe it. There on the stairs stood a woman of thirty-five (a/n: I'm just guessing on the age here), with beautiful curly-blonde hair, perfect white skin, and crystal blue eyes, wearing a stunning pink dress. 'Glinda the Good...Oz, she's beautiful.' Meerna thought.

With a girlish squeal unbefitting her age, the enchantress bounded down the stairs and leapt into Meerna's employer's open arms. She couldn't help but smile as he swung her around, both laughing like children. When they stopped, he let her down and studied her at arms length.

"Glinda Upland," he said, smiling, "you look stunning."

The woman giggled. "And you, Rooku Garin, are still in danger of being too good at flattery." She teased, hugging him tightly.

He chuckled. "I suppose you're right."

Glinda saw Meerna looking on in bemusement and said "Oh, come over here, my dear. I want to have a good look at you."

Meerna came over and let Glinda study her, feeling as if she were under the magnifying glass, but she knew that Her Goodness thought her to be quite lovely, and confirmed it when she got a hug from the petite blonde.

"My darling you look beautiful. Oh, you must tell me where you got that lovely cloak!" She gushed as she released her from the hug.

"Well, my mother gave it to me for my twenty first birthday. But I can ask her where she got it." The young girl offered shyly.

Rooku rolled his eyes. "Glinda, how many cloaks _do _you have? I doubt you need more." He turned and said in a stage whisper to Meerna "She had a wardrobe the size of a big broom closet back at Shiz."

"I did not!" the woman protested.

He snorted. "Oh, yes you did. You had two whole shelves of it devoted to shoes."

The blonde blushed a little. "All right, all right, I did."

Rooku laughed and gave the woman a one-armed hug. "I'm just teasing you, Glinda." He joked. "You should know that by now; how long have we known each other?"

"Oh, will you stop it!" Glinda shoved him playfully. She went into the entryway and grabbed her cloak. "Shall we go?"

"Glinda?" came a wheezy voice from the stairs. The three turned to see Chuffrey making his way down the stairs. Rooku and Meerna couldnt help but repress a shudder at the way his body fat wobbled with every step he took. With a grunt, the nobleman went to the foot, and walked over to his wife. "Where are you-oh, good evening, Councilman Garin." He said when he saw who was there.

He nodded. "Good evening, Sir Chuffrey. How are you today?"

"As well I can be with this infernal heat," the heavy man muttered.

"It _has_ been getting really hot lately. Oh, may I introduce my secretary, Meerna Haft?"

Chuffrey took her offered hand in his pudgy one and kissed it. "Delighted to meet you, my dear." He breathed.

Meerna had to swallow the bile rising in her throat before she could answer "You as well, sir."

As he turned to Glinda, Meerna studied him closely; she had only seen him once or twice before at Her Goodness public speeches, but that was at a distance. He surely must have been handsome at one time or another, but high-living seemed to have sapped it right out of him. His grey hair was slowly turning white, and his ponderous gut hung over his belt.

"Where are you going so late, my love?" Chuffrey asked.

"Oh, well, I've just invited Councilman Garin and his assistant out for a while. Don't worry; I'll be back before it gets too late." With that, the enchantress kissed her husband quickly on the cheek, and went out the door.

Rooku and Meerna said a quick goodbye to Chuffrey and followed her to where the carriage was waiting. As soon as they were inside and on their way, Meerna finally let out the shudder shed been holding in. "Oh, Oz, how can someone be that...fat?" she groaned.

Glinda smiled wryly. "I've asked myself the same question for two years."

Rooku leaned back in his seat, and sighed. He looked over at his old friend, and asked quietly "How are _you_?"

The blonde found herself looking into her best friends green eyes, and suddenly remembered the way..._her_ eyes looked into hers. She felt her breath catch in her throat, and said in a soft voice "I...am all right, I guess."

"All right? Come on, Glin, I've known you for longer than you think."

Glinda crossed her legs and looked out the window to her left. The mulberry trees were already showing off their green leaves, and the rising moons light made them appear ethereal. "I've been having...dreams."

"Good or bad?"

"Some are nightmares; mostly about her melting."

What she didnt tell him was the erotic-_very erotic_-dreams she had been having. They were always the same dream of a warm mouth fusing to hers in a passionate kiss, of gentle hands undoing her nightgown (why was she always in her nightgown in those dreams?), of two figures moving in a bed, white and green skin blending together, and, especially, of a beautiful green face looking down into hers.

"Uh, Glinda? Helloooo? Is anyone in there?"

The enchantress jumped when she heard Rooku's voice. "Oh! Um, sorry, I was somewhere else. What did you say?"

"I said does Chuffrey know about them?"

"No. I don't tell my husband everything, you know."

Rooku sighed. "So I see." He looked down at his hands clasped together, and then back up at her with a small smile.

"I thought about what happened after the Ozdust," he said.

Glinda pretended to groan. "Oh, no, I wonder what I was thinking back then."

"Good point." He said with a grin. "What _were_ you thinking?"

"I guess I just...wanted to help her?"

"By dressing her up like a peacock?"

"Rooku!"

"Just kidding...but after that, you really became friends, didn't you? We all did."

Glinda smiled wistfully. "Yes. Yes, we did; you, me, Elphie, Fiyero, Nessarose, and Boq."

"Don't you mean Bick?"

She gave him a look, and he decided to switch the subject. "But you and Elphaba had a connection the most."

"We did. She saw me for who I really was and I didn't care about the color of her skin after a while."

"Well, you were the one most devoted to her, Glinda; we all knew that."

"...yes." The way she said this made Rooku think, and one glance over at Meerna told him she was thinking the exact same thing. So he decided to ask her.

"Did you love her, Glinda?"

"..."

"Glinda?"

"I can't answer that."

But that was enough for him to confirm his suspicion. Glinda the Good was, and still was, in love with Elphaba. The rest of the ride was spent in silence with Glinda looking out the window, and Rooku and Meerna watching her.

There was something nagging Meerna, though: a rumor shed heard back when she was at Shiz. She knew Rooku couldnt answer it, so she spoke up "Uh...Miss Glinda?"

The enchantress looked up. "Yes, what is it, Meerna?"

"I heard that she-the Wit-I mean Elphaba-since she was allergic to water, that she bathed with oil. Is that true?"

Glinda nodded, and then Meerna said quietly "I think I would have liked to have known her."

The lovely smile Glinda gave her made her feel good, and Rooku grinned with approval.

Kiamo Ko stood in a threatening shadow against the moon. Once the family castle of Prince Fiyero, it had gained notoriety as the lair of the Wicked Witch; now it was the symbol of a terrifying icon...who many people believed still haunted its turrets and towers. Crafted out of black granite, the white moonlight made it seem more...menacing.

While Rooku helped Glinda out of the carriage, Meerna climbed out and gazed up at it in amazement. "Wow! I heard the stories and such, but I never thought it would be this big!"

"I always thought his family was compensating for something-ouch! Glinda, that hurt!"

"Rooku, that was crude!"

"So says the woman who can swear like a sailor when she's drunk."

"I...I'm just gonna leave that alone."

Rooku just chuckled, and then offered both of his arms to the girls. "Shall we, then?"

The heavy oak doors swung open with a creak, and aided by a lantern Meerna had brought in, the three companions made their way into the dark castle, feeling as though they were walking through a tomb. It didn't take too long for them to reach the door leading into the tower.

Giving the lantern to Rooku, Glinda reached into the pocket of her cloak and pulled out a key, unlocking the door. It creaked slowly open due to the rust and the years. Rooku held the lamp up as the light shone in banishing the shadows and scaring some spiders back to their corners.

The room was big, Meerna noticed, with a huge open balcony just perfect for watching the sky or launching a broomstick off into the unknown. To one side of the room, she could see what looked like a stairway, probably leading to a bedroom. All in all, she did feel a sense of awe in this place.

Rooku set the lantern on a chair, and took off his cloak. Glinda took off hers and placed it on another, and then she knelt to the ground with her wand in her right hand. There was a small burst of light, and then Glinda placed a lily on one spot.

"Is-is that where?" Meerna asked apprehensively.

Rooku nodded. He pointed to a closet door and said "That closet is where we hid when the hunters arrived to free Dorothy."

"Hello, Elphie." Glinda spoke, her voice full of concealed tears. "It's been a while, hasnt it?" Her hands seemed to be shaking as she dabbed at her eyes with a lace hanky. "I miss you. So much..."

Meerna suddenly felt teary and wiped her eyes with her sleeve. Rooku rubbed at his eyes, feeling sad. He was about to mention something when he heard it; a noise coming from the stairwell.

It didn't sound like an animal, or Animal, but like-well, it was something; something that could potentially hurt Glinda and Meerna. He decided to investigate and walked over to the stairwell. He made sure that he had his penknife in his belt, and then began to make his way up the stairs, going unnoticed by his two friends.

Rooku followed the stairs, his whole body shaking with nervousness, and he wondered what he would find in the bedroom of his old friend. The door was open, and he peeked in slowly.

_Very_ slowly.

The room was quite possibly once Fiyero's or perhaps his father's, for it was grander than any other room in the whole castle, with a magnificent fireplace and a marvelous four-post bed with black silk sheets. In the room was a black oak desk, with a comfortable chair sitting at it. Cob-webbed shelves were lined with books and sat against the walls.

The Councilman stood in the doorway for a few minutes, then went in, his hand still on the hilt of his penknife. As he got closer to the bed, he saw that the sheets were messed up, as if someone had been sleeping on them. He got closer and saw the remains of a crust of bread, a rind of cheese, and an apple core on the night table to the right of the bed.

He went over to the desk and saw newspaper clippings; the headlines screaming out to him.

"WICKED WITCH OF THE WEST SLAIN BY BUCKET OF WATER!

ENEMY OF OZ DEFEATED!

DOROTHY OF KANAS RETURNS TRIUMPHANT!

DING DONG, THE WITCH IS DEAD!"

They were illuminated by a candle, newly lit seeing as it was still tall.

"Wait a second, someone's been living here." He breathed. 'Could it be a drifter, maybe?' As he spoke the candle went out and the room was pitched into darkness. Rooku could barely see a hand in front of his face.

Suddenly, he heard someone coming up behind him in the dark. Without warning, he whirled around with a right hook punch, only to have it caught by someone clearly stronger than him. 'Oh shit!' he thought.

They grappled together, with Rooku trying desperately to reach his penknife and his attacker trying to stop him. At the last moment, he was spun around with his arms pinned behind him and the edge of a knife, a BIGGER knife than his, pressed against his throat. He thought of Meerna and Glinda who were still downstairs, and managed to gasp out "Look, take all my money and all the valuables I have on me, just don't hurt the two women that came with me, please!"

The voice that answered threw him for a loop. "Don't worry, I have no intention of hurting you or your companions."

That-that voice! He *knew* that voice; a voice that he thought he would never hear again.

"Look, I'll let you go, but you have to come back later so I can explain, all right?"

He nodded dumbly, then his unseen assailant unpinned him, and he half-ran, half-stumbled out the room and down the stairs, missing a huge smile that appeared in the darkness.

Meerna didn't know that her employer had disappeared, until he came running out of the stairwell, his face as pale as moonlight. Then she knew he'd been gone and he looked like he had seen a ghost.

"Boss, are you ok?" the young woman asked worriedly.

Glinda looked up from where she'd been kneeling, and saw her friend nearly fall against the wall. "Rooku, what on earth-you look awful!" She gasped.

"Uh, I'm fine; just got a little scared by, uh, a bat." He grumbled, wiping a hand across his face. "Don't worry, I'm not gonna keel over." He went over to the basket Meerna had brought and pulled out the bottle of ale.

"Come now, why don't we drink to her?" he said as he pulled out three small juice glasses. "I kept one of Munchkinland's best ales on tap just for tonight."

Glinda got up and took one of the glasses that he offered her, glancing over at his secretary who had the same look she did. What was it that made him so out of sorts? It certainly wasn't the "bat" as he said it was.

"Now, then. Here's to Elphaba," he said, raising his cup, "may she continue to be a source of inspiration to all."

"To Elphaba." Both women intoned, raising their cups to his, then drank, Rooku knocking his drink back a little faster than them. He wiped his mouth with the back of his hand, and then took their empty glasses from them. As he put them back in the basket, Meerna saw what looked like a thin red line on his throat, right across his Adams apple.

"Hey, what's that?" she asked.

He looked up. "What is what?"

"Uh, nothing." She gathered her cloak from the floor, and grabbed his, while Rooku went over to Glinda and put his arm around her shoulder, giving her a one-armed hug. She could hear both of them speaking in low tones, but she couldn't make out what they were saying.

He turned back to Meerna and said "Are you ready to go?"

"Yeah. Is Her Goodness ready?"

The person in question nodded. "Yes, Chuffrey will be wondering where I am. And I have to meet with a delegation of Quadlings in the morning, and then I have a public appearance right after that."

Suddenly, they heard it.

An ethereal ghostly voice began to ring through out the castle, holding the three people there spellbound. Meerna was amazed; not even the best opera singer in Gillikin could match that voice. She looked over at Rooku, who had an expression of satisfaction mixed with...nervousness?

But Her Goodness had a look of pure bliss mixed with sadness. She remembered hearing that she and the Witch had sounded wonderful together, almost as if two angels themselves were singing.

Glinda felt tears coming to her eyes, and then she couldn't stand it anymore. She fell down to her knees and began to sob, her face covered by her hands. Rooku knelt down next to her and let her sob onto his shoulder. After a while, he motioned to Meerna that she should take Glinda out to the carriage.

Meerna took her hands, helped her up, and led her out of the room with Rooku walking behind them guarding the rear, and the voice still singing.

The figure at the window stood silent, watching as Councilman Garin came riding up the path on his horse. He halted it, got off, and tied it to the nearest tree, then he walked toward the doors and opened them.

They sighed regretfully. They definitely had a *lot* of explaining to do where Rooku was concerned. They listened as his steps up the stairs became clearer and clearer, until the door to the room opened, and he was standing in the room, yet they did not turn.

Rooku felt his heart beat faster and faster as he saw the person standing at the window. He tried to speak, but the words wouldn't come out.

He tried again. "Elphaba? Is-is that you?"

The figure turned...and his heart almost stopped.

Elphaba smiled and said "Hello, Rooku."

For a while, both of them stood staring at each other, with the man wondering if he should hug her, or slug her in the stomach really, really, hard. He opted for the latter, and charged forward slamming his fist into her gut and making her double over with pain.

"That," he growled, "was for lying for two years."

"Yeah, I probably deserved that." She gasped out.

Then he pulled her into a fierce hug. "And this is for coming back," he murmured, his eyes full of happy tears. She grinned and hugged him back, letting him cry for a few.

He pulled away after a few minutes and studied her at arms length. "But-but how? I mean, Glinda and I-and then the mob-and then Dorothy-and then the yelling and the splash and the Aaaaaah!, and then the-did I miss something here?" he asked, confusion written on his handsome features.

Elphaba chuckled. "It's a long story."

"Well, I've got the time."

"Then you better sit down, because we'll be here for a while."

**Chapter One is finished! YAY! Whoo-hoo!**

**Chapter Two will be short, with Elphaba explaining how she survived her melting, and Rooku telling her she has to tell Glinda.**

**Thank you all for your patience! I will update this story as much as possible, but college is pretty busy.**

**Now Im going to bed. Good night!**

**Finished 11/9/2008 11:55 PM**


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